HRD plans another panel, now on primary education

The HRD Ministry is planning a commission along the lines of University Grants Commission for primary and upper primary education. For this purpose, the department today convened a meeting of senior officials from the ministries of HRD, Finance, Home, Law and Tribal Affairs and the Planning Commission.

The Common Minimum programme envisages a ‘‘National Commission on Education’’ and also speaks of the focus on ‘‘basic education’’ and ‘‘quality’’. The HRD Ministry has interpreted these points in the CMP to imply a commission on primary and upper primary education. Since there are fears that it might lead to more bureaucratic involvement, the ministry is contemplating a short-term commission comprising officials from the different ministries and see if it works.

The ministry is keenly aware that with the focus on meeting targets of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, quantity is what the education system is looking at right now. To make up on ‘‘quality’’, it is imperative that a proper monitoring mechanism be evolved. Of course, the discussion on the proposed commission is still at a preliminary stage and its priorities have to be sorted out.

Besides, there has been demand in some quarters, that with a huge amount of money going out to the states, a powerful Central monitoring mechanism should be put in place. Of course, not many in the HRD Ministry subscribe to this view because they do not want to impinge on the rights of the states.